ORGANIZING NOTES
April 1, 2025
|
It’s time to Fight for a Democratic Party that Builds
Working Class Power!
|
Run for delegate to the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s Convention
|
Every major analysis of the November 2024 election agrees that the defection of working-class voters from the Democratic Party – not their embrace of Trump – explains the disappointing results. This was true in Massachusetts as well.
The Mass AFL-CIO recently asked union members to attend their local Democratic caucus meetings and run for delegates to the Mass Dems convention, September 13th in Springfield.
Mass AFL-CIO hopes that a strong turnout of union members and supporters at the convention will win strong support for its 2025 Legislative Priorities and a new RaiseUp initiative to combat offshore tax dodging and make billionaire global corporations pay their fair share!
Electing delegates committed to a working class agenda must be a priority if we hope to win much needed party reforms. The AFL-CIO initiative is an important opportunity to better align our work with the labor movement. With enough support, we hope to convince the convention to not only endorse platform planks supporting these goals but to put new party organizers behind a campaign to win this legislation. Find your caucus date and location here.
Please consider running to be a delegate in support of the Mass AFL-CIO’s priorities. Click here to let us know if you plan to attend your Democratic caucus and if you are interested in running for delegate. The member organizations of the Massachusetts Progressive Action Organizing Committee (Our Revolution MA, Progressive Mass, Progressive Dems of America (MA)), and allies are asking all 600 Massachusetts Ward and Town Committees to join this effort. We need volunteers to support this organizing. Click here to volunteer.
|
ORMA Climate Crisis Working Group Sets Legislative Priorities for MA
|
The climate news coming out of the federal government over the past two months
makes it clear: The “One Percent” are in service of only ONE thing, their own comfort
and greed. Trump, Musk and their allies are dismantling the national progress made
over two decades. Intentionally leaving destruction and chaos for ALL of us in their
wake.
When the Federal government sets its mind on Fascism, the states MUST lead the
resistance, and fund and implement state action to protect us from the ravages of
Climate Change, and our wannabe dictators.
The ORMA Climate Crisis Working Group has set its legislative priorities for the
current (2025-26) Massachusetts Legislature and we need you to Take Action.
We see two key issues as we face the coming crisis:
1) Preserving the natural environment that protects us from the criminal
conspiracy pumping vast amounts of fossil-fuel carbon into the atmosphere.
(Led by the same individual and corporate oligarchs seeking to dismantle our
constitution);
2) Naming and holding that criminal conspiracy accountable– the fossil fuel cartel
and their enablers in the banking and insurance industries.
ORMA and the Trees as A Public Good Network are launching a State-wide
campaign to Protect and Restore urban and forest tree canopy. Strong protections
for what exists, and resources to restore what has been lost, are the core of this
campaign to protect the natural resources that protect us!
And to hold the fossil fuel oligarchs accountable we will be supporting the Make
Polluters Pay campaign. Enough is Enough! The principle is simple: those who make a
mess should clean it up. Any well-behaved 5-year-old would tell you this is fair.
As a member organization of the Mass Power Forward Coalition, we urge you to
support the three priority campaigns that the 200 members of that coalition have
selected.
Mass Power Forward (MPF), the largest coalition of climate organizations in
Massachusetts (including ORMA’s Climate Crisis Working Group) has set its priorities,
targeting three critical campaigns: Make Polluters Pay, Protecting People from Utility
Profiteering, and Better Air Quality for Environmental Justice.
Urge your legislators to Co-Sponsor Priority Bills here
Onward!
|
Resistance March 19, 2025
Morning Star Chenven
|
What a difference it made in my life to be at Jim McGovern’s Town Hall
last night. I was feeling helpless about what I see as the fascist takeover of
our country. We, the people, are losing more rights and freedoms every
single day. The Department of Education is being shut down; innocent
people are being deported; thousands of jobs have been gutted; Social
Security, Veteran’s Services and Medicaid are being cut. All kinds of
people are in danger just because they are who they are or believe what
they believe. What difference would my small voice make?
Being amongst 750 people at the Greenfield Middle School (and many
more outside) all looking to do “something” and hearing our representative
tell us that each of our voices mattered, seeing that he was just one
ordinary man who was brave enough to stand up for what he believed in –
all of that helped rouse me from my helpless, hopeless state.
What will I do? I’ll go to the Boston rally on April 5th. I’ll join the network
of people that are helping those in danger. I’ll start making phone calls to
various people in government that I either want to praise or shame! Yes,
shame! Continue reading…
|
The Immigrant Justice Network of MA hotline operates from 5 am to 9 pm every day of the week across multiple languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Haitian Creole, and more to be added!
The hotline will help you verify sightings, exercise your rights, and protect your community. They’re also looking for more volunteers — you can sign up here. They’re actively looking for volunteers who speak Vietnamese, Chinese, Nepali, Bengali, and Cape Verdean Kriolu.
|
Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless is holding their Legislative Action Day on Monday, April 7 in the State House Great Hall starting at 10:00 am. This event will focus on the Coalition’s current legislative (bill) priorities and fiscal year budget priorities, which you can read about here.
Register here to join the Coalition at this important day of action!
|
Please join Massachusetts Education Justice Association (MEJA) for the Education Justice Advocacy Day at the State House on April 16 from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm!
tMEJA will provide the educational materials and training to help prepare you to meet with legislators.
Sign up now to get more information about the day! RSVP here.
|
Workers at the Fidelity-owned Seaport Hotel in Boston have called for a boycott. For over a year, Fidelity has challenged Seaport Hotel banquet workers’ unionization attempts. f the hotel.
Seaport Hotel workers are asking for customers to not eat, meet, or sleep at the Seaport Hotel until the Hotel accepts the results of the election and agrees to a union contract that provides the dignity and respect they deserve.Sign the Pledge to Boycott Fidelity’s Seaport Hotel
|
As part of the Vocational Education Justice Coalition (VEJC), PDM has long advocated for a fairer admissions process at MA vocational/technical schools, which have annual waiting lists of more than 8000 applicants. This month’s virtual forum will focus on who is chosen to attend these schools that launch hundreds of careers in well-paying jobs for their graduates
|
Bernie Sanders and AOC Rally 30,000 in Denver!
|
Senator Sanders, spoke alongside U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, in Denver on Friday as part of a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour the pair are taking across the country to garner early support for Democrats before the midterm elections in 2026.
Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders have focused their visits on areas represented by Republicans but that have close enough margins to possibly swing toward Democrats in the future. Earlier in the day, the pair visited Evans’ district, for a rally in Greeley. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have visited several cities including Las Vegas and Omaha and will next go to Tucson
|
If you would like to work with ORMA Members on
- Climate Change
- Community-Based Alternative Emergency Response Teams
- Ranked-Choice Voting
- Housing For All
|
ORMA depends on your support to continue Bernie’s Political Revolution to create a society, a politics, and an economy that works for everyone, not just billionaires, corporations and the political elite.
If you value Organizing Notes and its twice a month distribution schedule, please make a donation to ensure its continued existence.
Invest in Change Now!
|
Please send requests for action items, articles or upcoming events
for the next Organizing Notes to
beccobrien.orma@gmail.com by Thursday, April 10th
We’d love to have you send us your favorite pictures of Bernie here in MA!
|
Campaigns End, Movements Endure
|
|
